Young guns hailed victors at 2021 Toyota GR GT Cup PH national finals

Young drivers notched wins at the national finals of the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup-Philippines.

For the final leg, participants got behind the wheel of the virtual GR version of the Yaris, which Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) unveiled locally last July.

For the first leg, e-racers — coming from the professional and novice levels of experience in esports — covered the online versions of the Tsukuba Circuit, Kyoto Driving Park (Gran Turismo original track) and the Suzuka Circuit.

For the culminating leg, Russel Cabrera from the Junior Class, Jether Miole fromrthe  Promotional Class, and Luis Moreno from the Sporting Class, were hailed as victors of the online race series. These winners of the 2021 Toyota GR GT Cup will receive P100,000 cash prize and brand-new Sony PlayStation 5 units.

“It was an awesome experience being able to race despite the pandemic. I practiced hard and pushed myself to outdo my best time. Practicing with some of my online racer friends also helped me a lot,” Cabrera said, as he expressed gratitude for the local automotive manufacturer’s move in providing them an avenue to compete with others. “The race tracks we competed in were all challenging.” he added.

For his part, Miole said that prior to the race, he spent time practicing for days prior to the race. “The races were tough even for my class. I always expect that someone is going to be faster than me, so I have to practice my racecraft and put more hours on the track days prior to each race heats.”

Meanwhile, Moreno believes that Toyota’s online race series “is a good alternative if not the best substitute for actual races given the situation of the pandemic in the country.”

“With real-life racing drivers joining, it ups the ante for those who focus on e-motorsports… As long as people know the fundamentals of racing such as cornering, braking, and acceleration management, anyone can get into e-motorsports,” Moreno said.

“It is TMP’s continuing mission to provide a venue for the talented Filipino gamers, most specially in the world e-motorsports, to showcase their world-class prowess. The future of e-sports in the Philippines is ever-growing and even bigger more than ever. It’s not too far long that we will see the next generation of champions in the world of virtual racing,” TMP elucidated in its statement.

Further, the company claimed that the Toyota GT Cup “moves forward into Toyota dealerships and is now giving chance to fans and enthusiasts, essentially everyone who wants to take on the thrill and excitement of the virtual race.”

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines

Also read:

Cabrera wins anew in Toyota GR GT Cup, racers continue win streak

Familiar names dominate Round 2 of Toyota GR GT Cup

Toyota PH partners with Petron Blaze 100 in Toyota GR GT Cup